Improvement in wood-screw machines



v 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. M. ALDEN.

WOOD SCREW MACHINE.

No 110,532. Patented Dec, 27. 1870.

4 3m qmY Sheets-$heet 2. J. M. ALDEN.

WOOD SCREW MACHINE. No 110,632.

Patented 1360.27, 1870.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. M. ALDEN. WOOD SCREW MACHINE.

No 110,532. Patented Dec 27, 1870 noun 5 pzrzas co, morouruov, WASNINGTON. n, c

5 SheetsSheet 4.

J.M.ALDEN. WOOD SCREW MACHINE, No. 110,532. Patented Deo 27, 1870 gxsgfh 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

J.M.ALDEN. WOOD SCREW MACHINE.

Nb 110;5s2. Patented Deo.27 1870.

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mus PETERS ca. Pncfaumu. WASHINGTON n c erit-ca $15M that dffio.

JAMES M. ALDEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 'TOINTERNATIONAL SOREW-NAIL COMPANY, 013 SAME 'PLAGE.

LetteBsPatent No. 110,532, dated December 27. 1870.

'i'ho Schedule referred to in theoe' Letters Pateutand part of the name.

To all whom it mag/concern Be it known that I, J AMES M. ALDEN, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Screw and BoltJiIachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

. This machine manufactures screws in a complete form at a single heat.

The threads are produced by indenting the grooves and forcing'up the metal for the threads, by acting on the surface with suitablejparts or dies having a conresponding shape.

The blank is rolled between two suriaces which are grooved obliquely to the* path in which the sin-faces travel.

Theblauk iswithout motion, except thatof simply rotating on its-exis-dnriug theperied'whilethe threads are being produced.

There are two dies traveling in opposite directions,

and compressing the blank between them during this operation.

My machine willmnke screws of any ordinary kind wlth'some' success; but it iscspeciallyadaptcd for the manufacture of the screw-nails, screw-spikes, or screw-bolts, described in' the patent issued to Samuel Prutt,,dated October 25, 1853.

The threads are of a formgiving a'strong hold in the 'wood, and the pitch is much greater than in ordinary screws.

The favorite number of threads is three, but a greater or lesser number may be produced, if desired.

Screw-nails so shaped may be driven by the hammer, and-wiil tprn themselves as they enter i nto the wood;

They may, by meansof asuitablc header, having a chisel thereon, be providedwvith a score for operating,

'.also with screw-driversii' desired.

lhey. may. have any form of -head which may be desired, for any particular purpose. Y

The machine receives the iron in the form of a round rod or bar. Itis importantthat the size be accurately determined and uniform. "l-o effect this, the bars or rods may be drawn through an accurate gaugo'in'the same manner as wireis drawn after it is rolled down to very nearlythe proper size. This leaves them perfectly round and true.

The iron is now heated again, and may then be fed in by handinto my machine,.or by any power which willieedit intermittently as required; Aweight or spring force, which wil l p'ress it'constantly forward,"

afterward designate the points which I believe to be new therein.

The accompanying drawing forms a part of this specification.

Figure lis a sideelevation of the entire machine.

Figure-Ziisa horizontal section through some of the principal parts on the crooked line SS in H". 1.

Figure 3 isa section on the line T 'I. in fig. 4. Figure; is a plan.

Figure-5' is a rear elevation.

Figure 6 isa front elevation.- g The above figures are on a scale about one-fourth of the size of a machine which. 'I constructed and prefer. it is made with steps or offsets; The die first imprcssesfthc threads by the lowest step, then sinks the next step deeper, thereby raising the threads higher by sudden increments, instead of gradually, and I find the effect is better.

Figure 11 is'a face view, and

Figure 12, a section.

Figures 13 to 16, inclusive, show the form of thread Figure 17 is a horizout-al'scct-ion through the knife and dies, which cut off and point the iron.

Figure 17. is a face view of t-ilB4kllif6 which divides the barn Figures 18 to 20, inclusive, show exactly the form and action of the dies in giving a pointed form to the belt orscrew.

Figure 19 shows the dies in the act of commencing, and

Figure 20 shows the same in the act of completing thc pointing of a bolt. Fig. 20 shows at each side of the bolt a small quantity of metalcut or sheared off by thesharp form of the dies.' The dies both swage a'ndcut the metal in giving it the pointed .form.

I Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

The material of the whole of the rigid parts may be of iron and steel. one material of the flexible pipes may be soft vulcanized rubber.

The machine being complex, I have endeavored to rcpresentit fully and correctly by the drawin In describing these I will, to save repetitions, describe the operation simultaneously with the description of the parts.

The motions of'thc several parts of my machine The other shaft, J, I term the crank-shaft. It is mounted directly under the main driving-shaft, and is geared so as to turn in the same time. It'carrics a stout crank whi'choperates the movable bars, and

thus operates all those portions of the mechanismivhich detain the blank, hold it, support it, thread it, and discharge it in the form of a completescrew or screw-nails -It follows that by disconnecting the gearing whichconnects the crank-shaft to the driving-shaft, I can produce blanks alone without operating any port-ion of the threading mechanism. I propose to do so when, under any circumstances, blanks are wanted without threads.

My machine may thus be used for vthe production of rivets and plain bolts of various kinds, with or without provision for pointing.

It may be remarked that the knives or the parts which cut off and shape the points of the blank may be removed and exchanged without difiiculty.

'The end of a'hot rod of iron, on being fed forward into the 'machiiic through the tube a, strikes the gauge B, which may be adjusted at will by any approved means not represented to determine the length of the blank, and the quantity allowed for the head.

While the hot bar rests against this gauge B, it is out off by a transversely-movii1g knife, 0, attached to the moving die 0, or carried with it. The blank is now inclosed and cou'ipressed firmly between two dies, 0 and G which take hold of the entire length which is to form the shank or body; They leave a portion projecting to form ahead. I

\Vhile attaining-this condition gauge B rises out of the way by the agency of the bent lever B, actuated by the moving die-carrier, as indicated in figs. 4 and 6. Next, a strong header or heading-die (hollowed, if it be desired, to produce sweilcdheads,) advances and compresses the projecting part of the metal endwisc against the dies 0 O, which hold the body of the blank. This forms the head. If thchead is to be round, square, or of any other exact form, the main dies 0 Q must be correspondingly formed to shape it. I

Most screw-nails require to be reduced or pointed at the end furthest from the headl I. give such a form to the dies (1" C, which inclose and hold the body,'as shall impart a proper forum to the point. I do this successively by making the upper part of each die, at the point, with a knife-edge, so as, partly by swaging, and partly by cutting 0d the surplus metal, to l'c'duceaud taper the point of the nail with tolerable symmetry.

This form is important, and is shown in figs. 17 to 20. it will be seen, on examining these figures, that the form' of the dies toward the head is as usual, and that the form of the dies toward the point is such as corresponds tothc pointed form of the scrcnndcsired.

For the entire space beyond the recess, the faces of both dies arc plane, except-and this is the main point-'at that part of the dies which is to form the point of thcnail. There the metal on the upper side of each of the recesses is foymcd knii'cwise, the metal forming a sharp ridge or edge close to the recess, and being sunk or removed behind.

soon as the dies commence to open.

By the recess in the above I mean the cavity in the die which receives the screw-blank. Carling this recess M, and so marking .it in all the figs; 17 to 20, it, will be observed that while its main body is semicylindricul in each die, its point is semi-conical in each.

. It will be obvious that the force required to operate the dies described is very great. I'obtainit by means of two double toggles, E, E, arranged to be operated by a sliding carriage, E, which is moved forward by the connect-ion c in a direction parallel to't-he axis of the bolt.

The carriage E is returned bya simple contact of the yoke E with a pin connected thereto. The force required for this purpose is slight.

The yoke 1')", it will be observed, is attached by the pin E to the connection a, which carries the slide E. When the conncc ionc has been moved forward by the cam E, and has ceased its mot-ion in this direc tion, the pin E on the end of the shaftF, actinglike a crank-pin or cam against the inside of the back arm of the yoke E, pushes the yoke back, and thus pulls the slide E back by its connection 0 to its original position.

The header 1) is drawn back by a spring, D, coiled around it. It is brought forward with force to compress the metal bya lmucklc-motion.

A short arm, 1!", on the revolving shalt F makes a connection, at each revolution, with the end of a strong link or half-toggle, D, which acts directly against the heading-carriage 1), in the line, or nearly in the line, of theaxis of the bolt. It acts always very nearly in that linc,,so that the carriage, which is strongly guided, traverses forward in a correct line and gives a true motion to the. strong heading-die.

A spring, 1)", carries up the hiugedpart, which I have termed the link, so as to be in position to again receive .the revolving-arm l in time for the next forward motion.

I obtain a more sudden movement of the heading die I) by allowing it to move back'only toa sufficient distance to entirely clear the head andto allow the. metal for the next head to come-forward into position, and to allow the gauge B to stand in the proper place. The carriage D, which carries the stout hinged arm or link I), is allowed to move backward further. It therefore acquires a considerable velocity before it strikes and imparts motion to the headel'Dl Immediately outhe retreating or backward morement of the header D, the dies 0 0, before described, commence to opcuand liberate the blank.

To avoid the chance that the bolt or nail may stick in one of the dies, 1 provide a spring, G, acting to force inward a pin, G, througha small hole incach die, at right angles to the axis of the screw or nail. This spring G is so gentle as not to indent the small pin into the soft iron, but is,,at the some time, sufficiently stiff to insurea dislodgemcnt of the blank so;

The dies open so far that the slight projection of the clearer-s G into. the cavity for the screw does not interfere with the feeding.

\Vhcn the dies have opened sul'ficicnt lythe blank falls by grzwityyand it moves by gravity. into the lower position, where it is subjected to further treatment, which produces the threads. The transfer of the blank from the dies 0 )9, above described, to the tln'eznliug-dics to be described below, is a very important part oft-he operation. The tln'cading-dics do not extend the whole length of the traverse; they'act on tlic bolt while it stands in a vertical position, the bolt being held, by means to be described below, to receive the action of the threading-dies.

The tilting of the blank is effected by the'aid of a pin or trip, 1-1, which extends across undcrthc'blank,

and receives it as it drops in sucha manner that the point end, icing'longest, its gravity prcponderates, and always throws the point down. The form of this pin or trip H may be varied within wide limits. Itmay be better, in most instances, to make it fiat and inclined, but various other sections may serve. Its oflice is to arrest the head end of the blank and compel the blank to descend point foremost.

Thus tilted, the bolt or nail drops into a tapering hopper or partially funnel-shaped space, H.

The lower end or nose h h of this funnel or hopper is snfiiciently opened at the proper times to allow the point and part of the body of the blank to pass through.

Here it is suspended by its head, while the dies I 1, act on the body below and prod-ace the threads.

Screw-nails, ordinarily, have a portion of the shank or body left plain. In otherwords, the threads, considered as beginning'at the point, extend upward only about two-thirds of the length to the head, about one- -third being left plain or cylindrical. The lower end or nose of my hopper H is shaped to fitvery accurately, but loosely, around that portion of the body of the screw which is to be left plain. It also fits very accurately around the head when the head has been previously exactly finished. The greater the portion of the surface of the blank which can be thus inelosed in the lower portion the hopper H, during the operationfof':threading,the-better. In thesocket thus provided the hot blankis held and allowed to turn:

The .tln-einling-dics 1 1 are carried on stout-slides, a? t, which I term movable bars, which are strongly guided in rectilinear guides, and which I term the carriage-way, and are reciprocated with equal motions in opposite directions.

The dies are formed and adjusted in a proper position, according to the size of the blank and the number and obliquity of the threads desired. The (lies may be made of chilled iron or case-hardened iron. I have operated dies of chilled iron, having the chill about one-fburtlrof an inch thick, very siw'eessfully. I have also used, with some success, case-bardencd wrought-iron.

It is important that the motion of the two threading-dics which move in opposite directions shall be exactly equal at all times. I effect this by reciprocating one die, 1, with its carriage or movable bar, by means of a crank motion, direct from thecrank-shalt J, by means of a connecting-rod, J", as wilt be ohvious. V v

The proper motion in -the opposite direction is communicated from this carriage or movable bar-t to the other i." by means of an intermediate pinion, J .which acts in a rack in each movable bar, as represented. The pinion Ji is mounted at a lower level than-the threading-dies.

.I giro an ample motion to these threading dies by a crank, J havinga radius of one'foot in the experimental machine now in operation, and a single movement or half reciprocation of the .two dies is sufficient to impress hot-breads. The/dies act on the upper or sharp angular side of the thread with most force, and they force up the metal to form the thread with an' efficiency which depends on the correctness of their form and adjustment, and on the softness or plasticity of the hot iron.

The hold on the upper portion of the material, which may now be called a complete screw or screwnail, may be made loose, as above described, so as to allow the screw to turn freely therein, or that part of the hopper H which holds the screw may turn with thescrcw. I have not tested the latter arrangement, and, as I fear that it may involve considerable difficulty, I prefer to let the screw-blank turn loosely within 1 t.

After the threading-dies I I have passed, and the threads have been swaged-properlyon the screw-by the rolling process abovodeseribed, they continue their motion still further, leaving the screw entirely free before the dies return. During this timethe nose or point of the hopper H'- opens' and drops the scribed for the purpose.

After the screw has been finished it is necessary to open the nose sufliciently wide to allow the passage of the head of the screw; to effect this both halves h h" of the nose may move in opposite directions, bnt'll have found it snfficient, with'al-l ordinary forms of the screw-nail, to open the hopper by moving one half, It, alone toward the front of the machine. -.It receives its motion from the movable bar i, through parts attachcd thereto. The means whereby this is effected are indicated. in the drawing, fig. (i. The extent of thc lnotion need he only sntiicieut to allow the head of the screw to descend freely.

The tension of the spring h (see figs. 2 and 3) being gentle, it requires only amoderate force to overcome it, as also the friction of the parts.

This force is received from the slidet", at the proper time, through the medium of the projection -L carried on the said slide, which strikes against the projection 'h on the part h of the nose. It strikes when the slide 'i has approached within an inch or less of the end of its forward motion, and carries the movable half h of the nose forward with it-to the end of itsmotion; then, on returning, the movable half returns by the force of the spring It toits closed position.

I provide a movable stop orrest, K, in the hopper Hi, which extends across, directly over the head of the bolt, while it is being threaded, and arrests the descent of the succeeding bolt, until the one previously tl-n'eaded is discharged. This movable rest is operated by astub on the slide or movable bar 5, and is drawn out fora very brief period. The drawing out resting on itto descend into the nose of the hopper. In order-to allow it to thus descend more freely, the nose is opened .at this juncture a v'ery little. .This movement I term limbering the nose. I effect it by two stubs or cams attached to the -slide or-bar 'i', one of which pulls outa locking pin, it, which, when the die '5 moves forward, locks thehalves h h of the nose together, and the other opens the halves a little.

This operation need require only a small fraction. of a second, after which the halves h h of the nose again close'togethcr by the force of a spring, hfl'and the acts on it.

alt will be readily understood that the locking-pin gives a firmness to the grip of the nose h it around the shank and head of the screw which would not be otherwise attainablc.. The forceof' the spring It. is sufficiently great to' urge'tlre parts of the nose together properly while the screw is not being acted on by the dies '1 1' but the action of the latter in rotating and inipressing threads upon the heatedscrewblank is liable to tend to bend it in various directions; and it is important that, while the nose does not gripe the blank so as to prevent its rotation, its support should be firm and unyielding, This is attained by the aid of the devices here described, with great certainty and with little complexity or difiicnlty.

The looking-pin It, by'holding the two halves of the nose firmly together, gives it a very substantial-character when it is pertorming its functions of holding the shank and head of the screw steady while it is turning in being threaded.

The motion of the lockingpin h is effected by the spring 7:, (which constantly tends to force it inward to screw, the-nose being formed in two pieces, It. hi, and provided with proper connections, hereinafter de-,.

of the movable rest K allows the blank previously' locking-pin h is again forced in bythe spring h 'which I 'positionon the forward end of the slide 41 that it acts at the proper moment on the. inner faceof a bend or head of the locking-pin, and draws itont to.liberate or; open the nose, so. that'the s'tub Q- on the slide i can act simultaneously therewith against the lever P to' open the nose a little way to let the screw-blank fall into the nose from. the hopper H e The corresponding incline h, ca'ri'ied on the opposite 'end of the slide i inthe position represented, acts similarly under the head :of the locking-pin to draw it out. e W When the screw 'is completed, and when'the slide {2 is nearly at the forward extremity of its motion, the pro jection I, simultaneously therewith, strikes the stub h."'and-op ens the nose .to allowthe finished screw to drop from the machine.

-The slight-opening of the nose, which I term the ]imbering,-is eiiectech'aftcr being thus unlocked, by

means ot'.-the small lever 1', shownin fig. 2, and the adjustable piece Q carried on the slide i \\-'hich'strikes it. The spring It tends to keep this lever P in the position in which it is represented in ,this figure. When the slide i moves forward the lever P and its connections are 'not' afl'ccted; but as it commences to move backward thcpiece Q strikes the lcve'r'l and turns it in opposition to the spring B.

This momentary turning of the lever 1 acts on the projection h", which is fixed on the movable part h of the nose, and moves the said part a little forward, enough to'aid the blank in dropping into its place.

So soon as the piece Q has moved backward past the lever]? the latter returns to its original'position,

' as represented, and--,the locking-pin h being at this time free, it is pressed into its place by the springh, as before, and the nose is now firmly looked around the blank, touching it' slightly but firmly to support it while being threaded,

At the'same time thatthe nose closes together, after the limberlngoperation and-the descent of the bolt, the movable rest K moves inward and again ex; tends across the hopper H, ready to receive and arrest the descent of the next blank;

In this' position' the movable rcst K performs two important functions:

' Fast, the arresting the blank and holding it in position directly over and ready to be dropped into the nose h h when the proper period arrives; and Second, the holding'dowi the blank which is already in the nose and preventing it from working up.- ward {under any circumstances while the threading is being effected. A

The lower edge of the movable rcst'K is chamfcred a little to aid it in passing very closelyacross the top of the head of the 'blankwithont the liability of catch-' ing thereon.

The upper-thee of the movable rest K.isliollowcd,. something after thefashion of a sugar-scoop, but not as deep. This aids in leading the pointed lower end of the blank into the proper central position, and retaining it there while thenosc-of the hopper opens, so that it shallbe certain to descend in the right position. i I

The portion of the blank which projects below the nose of the hopper and receives the impression of the threads from the dies above dcscribcth'is liableto be bent or distorted by any slight maladjustment or accidental derangement of the parts,'or even by variations .!'n the heat or in the hardness or densityof the hot iron. The bending of this projecting end is always liable to result in a defective screw.

In order to secure an additional salbguaul, as far as maybe, against such bending, I provide two thin pieces, M71", which I term guys. These guys are firmly attached to the lower thee of the .nose, one to the movable half It and the other tofthc fixcd'half h. I make them of considerable widths so-as toaiford snf ficient strength; but the thickness must be less than' the diameter of the screw -nails to allow the dies which produce the threads oil-tho screw-nails or screws togrcci n'ocate on each side without contact with thcseignys.

i The guys serve to prevent the bending of the blank in either direction as the threading-dies act on the blank. They are hollowed on their inner faces, and are adapted to match the form of the blank; but they are mounted at alittle distance sons to avoid contact with the threads except in the cases when the blank tends to bend in either direction. In other words, they allow j ust room enough for the swagcd-up threads .to turn freely without coining in contact under ordinarycireumstances.

1n ordcrto avoid undue length'of spccilicatioinI leave mu'chjto be understood from the drawing, and to be supplied by the ordinary skill of mechanics.

Such, for example. is the making'of the parts in two or more pieces ,to allow the working faces to be adjusted or exchanged where I have represented them as made in a single piece; the introduction of au;aclive current of cold water through the dies and other heated parts -to maintain as low a temperature as practicable; the introduction of friction-rollers, or

more properly, antifriction .rollers, to reduce the resistance and wear wherever necessary, particularly at the'contact of the part c with the cam F,'a'nd at the back of the slides or bars 'ii .and the employment of a quick-acting clutch to connect and disconnect the mechanism at will.

.I may remark here that, although I have used the term screw and screw-nail for the most part in this specification,I'csteem the machine well adapted to the. manufacture of bolts, by which I mean articles of greater length, and usually of greater diameter also, than any ordinary screwaiails.

The drawing represents'very clearly the provisions -:\;hi'ch I have made for adjusting the position of the parts below 0 O by moving them horizontally in cvery direction by means of serews. I find it important to so adjust these parts, i.. c;, the hopper H and its connections, that the screw or bolt, when suspended in the nose h h shall be accurately centered so as to'be acted on equally by thc'two dies I 1.

.Ilaving now fully described my invention,

)Vlnat I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. The combination, as set forth, of the guage B with the bell-crank lever B and thedie'G.

2. flhe tilt-pin H and flat hopper II, arranged relative] y to the dies 0 G and to the threading mechanism below,snbstznitially asand for the purposes herein set forth.

. "Ihe combination of the nozzle h h, hoppcrH and means for opening and closing it, guys h h, and

'thethrcading-dies I l", operating as and for the purpose set forth. v

4. The arrangement of the movable rest K between the hopper H and the loosely-holding nozzle h 7L that it may be made to perform the double function of restraining the descent ofa blank until the right period, and of holding down the blank which is being threaded, all as and for thepurposcs herein. set forth.

5. The guys Iflhflin combination with and arranged relatively to the compound nose h" h,.,reciprocating threading-dics.1 I", and the hopper II, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

6. In combination, the several elemeuts'of the mechanism operatedfi'om thc-cam-shaft F, to wit: The cutting ofi, griping, and pointing meansy the gauge, and the. means oi operating 1t; the heading means, and

the means of clearing the shaped blank from the dies and conducting-it away, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

7;. In combination, the several elements of mechanism operated from the crank-shaft J, to wit: The movable rest K or its equivalent, the opening and closing nose h h, with means 71- h for locking it tightly I while required, and the threading-dies 1 1 all arranged to operate on blanks and to produce therefrom threaded screws or screw-bolts as herein specified.

8. In combination, the two complete trains or sets of mechanism herein described, to wit: The mechanism for producing the blanks, and the mechanism for threading the same, the latter mechanism receiving the ,blanks from the former in a uniform position through the hopper H or its equivalent, operating sgccessi'vely to fox-ma completescrew, as herein speci ed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JAMES MLALDEN'.

Witnesses O. O. LIVINGS, W. O. DEY. 

